Finding Family
by BeautifulFilly
Summary: A small, crazy little family steps onto the Tardis without any sort of warning, claiming to be from another dimension. The Doctor takes a liking to them and they teach him that sometimes all you need is family.


**Hey, I'm trying something new here and if someone doesn't like it, then its not my problem. This story is messy and OC filled, but I enjoy writing it.**

* * *

Travelling through the dimensions had always made her sore, but travelling through dimensions and almost nine months pregnant with twins? One would have to be nothing short of insane or desperate to do that. She was probably a little bit of both, but the last one they were in was dangerous and would've Travelling with her was her small, misfit family; her dear husband, Logan; her brother-in-law, James; her best friend, Pixie; and Pixie's four year daughter, Luz. She was glad, of course, that the trip had been short and swift, but not any less uncomfortable.

Finding a place to make her journey's end was always a bit of a task, but fortunately Logan and James could assist her with this. _Somewhere safe,_ she had told them. Some place that would welcome a strange family like hers and would be able to keep her unborn children safe and would hopefully have some assistance for when the time came. Somewhere they could safely put their heads to rest without the fear of being killed...

* * *

All that the Doctor wanted for the time being was to be alone. Time to let his tears flow and time to grieve. He knew he would miss his good friends and companions. Amy and Rory. The best of friends. Fortunately for him, he had a time machine and could use up as much time as he wanted to. Or so he thought. The very last thing he ever expected to happen in the most confusing way possible. He watched as five people stepped through a nearly blinding light. His confusion only grew when he saw that one of the people looked like a blimp and another was a very small child.

For a solid minute, he was speechless. Which was an unusual state for him to be in. He could feel the Tardis' amusement at his predicament. She, of course had knew of what was going on, being the all knowing being that she was. Eventually, he was finally able to speak. "What are- who- but... how did you get on my ship?" If the Tardis had a voice, she would be in hysterics, laughing at her chatty doctor being so confused. The odd group obviously wasn't dangerous, not to him at least, but there something unmistakably _different_ about them.

"Oh, sorry, my bad." The pregnant woman turned, facing the Doctor. He heard her American accent. _This will be interesting._ "I am terribly sorry if we landed in your ship, we were just trying to find a safe place. We should probably introduce ourselves, I am Ness, and this is my family. Logan is my husband, that's his brother, James, that's Pixie, and the little cutie right there is-"

"Luz!" The littlest of the band gave the Doctor a wide, toothy grin. Despite his confusion, he couldn't help but smile back.

"Well," he said nervously, "I am the Doctor, but if you were looking for a safe place to stay, you definitely came to the right place." Even as he was talking, he realized that he admired the little bunch, and wouldn't mind sharing the Tardis with them. The Tardis had allowed them on, and immediately began preparing rooms. Looks like they were here to stay. For a while, at least. There was more to them than met the eye. For one, they had magically appeared on his ship, two they all seemed to gravitate toward each other, as if their lives depended on being near, another odd thing he noticed about them was he felt the telepathic abilities in some of them, which was noticeably stronger in Ness.

"Well, Doctor, thank you very much for your hospitality. I don't mean to sound intrusive or rude or ungrateful, but is there any place where I could lie down for a while? Going through dimensions can really take a lot out of me especially in the state I'm currently in." She smiled, but her discomfort could easily be seen.

The Doctor's mind was spinning. _Going through dimensions? Telepathy?_ There was a lot of opportunity in their meeting, but he wasn't quite ready to accept the possibilities. For now though, he would just enjoy the new company and be glad that his ship had found him a distraction.

"Yup, there's a room right this way." The Tardis silently guided him to where their room was. But when he got to it, he stopped cold. _Her room_ was not only directly beside theirs, but the name on their door read Rose...

"Your name is Rose?" He was shaking by this point. There was just to much coincidence here.

"Yeah..." She replied, "hey, are you all right?"

"Of course I am. Why wouldn't I be?" She clearly wasn't convinced, but she switched the topic anyways. "So, how does your ship know our names?"

"She is a sentient time machine who loves having friends over."

Logan chuckled, "I knew I felt like someone was laughing at me, I just didn't think it was the ship."

"You are just going to accept that you are on an infinitely huge, sentient time machine with a sense of humor, just like that?" The doctor chuckled as he said it. _These people,_ he decided, _are insane. Perfect._

Logan shrugged and nodded. "We've seen some pretty strange things in our time. How does your machine work, anyways?"

"Come on, Logan, you can talk mechanics, intelligence, and sentience later. My back and feet are killing me, and I think we all need to rest." With that, they went into the room, clearly at ease with the situation they were in. The Doctor was really beginning to like these people and he certainly hoped they would stick around.

He realized that the other three were not with him and were probably still in the control room. He was sure that they would be as great as Logan and Ness, and he was intrigued by the idea of having a little kid on board with them, and he was fairly certain that Ness wasn't carrying just one baby in there. He liked the idea of having a family with him but it also brought back sadder memories, ones he would've preferred to keep locked away for good.

He thought now about how Amy would've laughed at his sentiment and how Rory would jump at the opportunity to be certain that everyone was in good health. He knew that River would be even more confused than him and probably try to kick them off. Jack would be attempting to flirt (to everyone's aggravation). Rose... Rose would laugh at how "domestic" this was, but would instantly be fawning over Luz and be exited about the babies that were on their way.

When he got back to the console room, he found the three all sitting together on the couch with Luz asleep in James' lap and Pixie beside him, clearly content. James was singing a song that the Doctor had never heard before. The scene before him melted his hearts. It was clear that they were happy. He realized how young Pixie appeared. Luz was clearly her daughter, but she bore no resemblance to James, though it was clear that they were together, but not yet married. The rude, curious side of him was itching to ask her about her life, but he had the feeling that would bring up unhappy topics. He knew that the happiest people always have to suffer to truly know how happy they are now.

He silently prayed that he would someday find the happiness he needed, even though he didn't believe he deserved it.

* * *

It had been a few hours since everyone had gone to sleep. He had shown the other three to their room and was once again astounded at how comfortable they were with the oddity of the Tardis.

Now he was alone to brood again. He thought over everything that had been going on in the past few hours. These people were the most curious beings he had ever met. With all of their strangeness and the fact they were from an entire other unrelated dimension, it was easy to see that this wasn't the first place they had been other than their own. They were seasoned travelers by now; travelers who were probably perfectly comfortable with the concept of time and space travel.

He heard footsteps behind him, and turned to see Ness waddling in his direction. She looked around her, seeming to take in all of her surroundings. She grinned when she saw him. "Oh, there you are." She said, as if he were a hiding child. "I hate having to ask for so much, but where is the kitchen in this massive ship-for-a-home?"

He laughed, "Its really no problem, there's plenty on this ship of mine. No need to worry. Follow me." He led her to the kitchen, which he noticed that it had already shifted to suit the needs of the visitors. The cupboards were lower down for Ness and Pixie, who were both on the shorter side, there was a proper cooking area now, the pantry and fridge were fully stocked with healthy foods, and any potentially dangerous items were out of the reach of any little kids. Despite his regular adversity to "domestic" things, the Doctor actually welcomed the change. It made the Tardis feel more 'homey'.

Ness was already at work, preparing herself a simple little meal of a quesadilla and salad. She was humming the same foreign tune he had heard James was singing earlier. He grabbed his usual favorite of fish sticks and custard and sat at the table across from Ness.

He heard her chuckling and he looked up to see what she thought was so funny. Apparently his questioning glance was enough, because she answered his question before it was even asked. "Well, if anyone would be one to understand pregnancy cravings it would be you, Doctor."

"Don't be so quick to criticize, Nessy, I'll have you know that there are entire restaurants in this galaxy alone that are completely based off the food choices of all of the variations of myself. It is actually quite good, I'll let you know. Would you care for a taste?"

She laughed again. He had already grown fond of hearing her laughter, and assumed that she was the kind of person who laughed fairly often. "May I ask you a few things, Ness?

"Of course. I did just rudely intrude onto your home anyways."

"Where are you from? You said something about dimension travelling? You seem to be off earth descent but you are unmistakably different about your lot."

"Essentially, we are from a tiny, under populated little town in northern Florida, but in the part of the fabric of actuality that we originate from is very different from your own I suppose. While having abilities such as the ones we have isn't exactly common, its not entirely too difficult to come by either."

"Well, okay then... What is your real name? It seems a bit cut off."

"My full name is Luminescence Bell Rose. You can probably see why I go by Ness. My mother was a bit out there and was determined to have a creative, meaningful name for her child."

He was testing the name out himself. It suited her, he decided. "Yeah, I understand why you go by Ness, and what about Pixie? Surely that isn't her real name?"

Her face darkened slightly. Touchy subject. He understood those well. "Her real name is Margaret Johnson, but she only goes by Pixie Evers now. (She goes by the nickname I made up when we first, and she borrowed the surname from my grandmother, who took us in.) She came from an abusive family, and she isn't proud of her past. She and Luz are lucky to be alive, and the beginning of Luz is a particularly painful part of her history. Its really best if you don't ask her about any of it."

"Oh, I'm really sorry." He thought of his earlier temptation to ask about her past. Now, he was really glad that he didn't. He decided it would be best to try and switch topics. "How old are you all anyways? You all seem to be fairly young."

"I am twenty, Logan and James are twenty-one, Pixie is nineteen, and Luz is three."

"Wow, you all are even younger than I thought. How long have you and Logan been married?"

"Almost three years now, but we've known each other for six or seven." _Wow,_ he thought, _they are a devoted young couple_. He was just about to jump to another question, but Ness beat him to it. "Doctor, how long have you been this sad?"

 _Smart girl._ "Its been a very long time, Ness. Too long,"

"How many have you lost?"

"Too many. I've lived a long and lonely life." Normally, he would've been guarding himself off by now, but he trusted this pregnant woman. There was something about her that told him she would be a great friend, and a true confidant.

"Who was Rose?"

The question took him by surprise. He was tempted to say _just a friend_ and get he thought out of his head, but he didn't fancy lying to Ness. Especially about Rose. In all honesty, he still wasn't altogether sure what Rose was to him. More than a friend, definitely, but he couldn't call her anything else because they were never technically ever anything else. "She was... Somebody that I should never have lost in the first place. She was fantastic. It broke my hearts to lose her."

The Doctor couldn't understand why he was opening up so much to a girl that he had met just hours before. He never talked about his past, about how he felt, but there he was, spilling his hearts out to her.

Her expression softened. Somehow she knew exactly how he felt. "You loved her, didn't you. You still love her."

"With my entire being."

"What happened to her, Doctor?"

"She fell into an alternate dimension. One that I couldn't pull her out of."

He saw Ness shift, a thoughtful expression filled her face. She was almost smiling. She got up and pulled a jar of salsa from the fridge and than sat back down to her quesadilla. "You do realize, Doc, that on a good day, I am able to travel between dimensions, right?" Her eyebrow was up, and she was definitely smiling now.

"Yes the thought did occur to me, but it's been years. For all I know, she could be dead now."

"She's not. Trust me on this one. She is still out there. I might not have my grandmother's foresight, but I can feel it."

The Doctor was nervous and almost frightened, but the clear determination in her eyes was set. They were getting his Rose back. "When?"

"If I could, I would go and do it now, but these two little munchkins have been having other plans and the idea of gong into labor on a rescue mission sounds very unappealing." She gave her stomach a fond little pat.

It occurred to him that she was very far along in the pregnancy at this point, and any little thing would have the capability to send her into labor. He knew that the rescue would have to wait, but he suddenly found himself to grow impatient. "Do any of the others have the ability to travel like you do?"

"Yes, both Logan and James can but Logan will refuse to leave without me and what we want to do is really a two person job. Also, I'm the best at finding what we need." He tried his best to not be disappointed. After all, it wasn't only herself that she was looking after, but two tiny, unborn humans as well.

"What are they?" He said, his boundless curiosity surpassed his disappointment. "Have you picked out names yet?"

"A boy and a girl." She replied lovingly. "Logan and I decided on Marshall Hunter for the boy and Eryn Iris for the girl. Marshall gets his name from his uncle's and father's middle names, and Eryn gets hers from our mothers."

"How sweet." He replied. _Certainly better than naming them purely after themselves._ Sometimes, he couldn't be happier for the ordinary.

She quickly finished her little snack, got up and carried her plate off to the sink, and yawned. "It was nice talking with you, Doctor. I'll probably have more to ask you when I wake up." He watched as she left the room. The temptation to be sure that she got to her room safely grew, but instead he asked the Tardis to alert him if anything happened and he began to think everything over.

* * *

The band had been on the Tardis for about a week of Earth time. He had explained to them what and who he was and what the Tardis was. He had shown them planets, the past, the present and the future. He was particularly enjoying showing them the differences between their home universe and his. They were particularly blown away about the equivalent place where their home was. Instead of the densely wooded, sleepy little mid-Florida town they had become accustomed to, it was a busy, bustling center of tourist traps and retirement communities.

There was something about them though, something that stood out to him as clear as day. They were homesick. And it wasn't the kind of _oh, we're ready to go home now_ type of homesickness. From what he could tell, it was the type of homesickness that they could never recover from, the kind of homesick that he felt himself feel every day. When had asked Logan about it, he just replied, ' _there isn't much for us to go back to anymore'._

He understood these people. He understood their sorrows; their joys. But there was one difference between them and him: they had each other, he was alone.

Eventually however, he began to feel as one of them. One of their hodge-podge family, and he loved it. He felt as they did, all of their abundant joy, their happiness, their sorrows, and their panic. He definitely felt their panic when the babies decided it was time to show...

* * *

He was just in the middle of showing them around a lovely, peaceful, floral planet, (he had been extra careful about where he went, considering Luz and the plus-two package) when he heard Ness groan. Immediately, everyone was surrounding her, with Logan, of course, being the one mostly supporting her. She tried for a laugh, but it came out weak. "I think we should get back to the Tardis, don't you all?"

Logan scooped his young wife up into his arms, James picked up Luz to be sure she wouldn't wander off, and Pixie grabbed his hand while throwing Ness an understanding glance. The Doctor, on the other hand, froze mid-thought. What was he supposed to do? This was not something he knew how to deal with. Not by a long shot.

He shook off the confusion and quickly led the way back to the Tardis who, sensing the urgency of the situation, opened her doors without a moment's hesitation. Logan rushed off the med bay, which had been designated as the delivery room, as Ness was opposed to giving birth in an unfamiliar hospital. They knew the routine, it had been planned soon after they had agreed to stay and travel with him. James handed Luz to the Doctor while telling her to be good and he rushed off still hand-in-hand with Pixie.

He thought, momentarily about how, despite calling himself the Doctor, he was actually rubbish at these situations. He was just glad that James was actually trained to be a doctor and they had Pixie, who was the resident "expert". _She will be fine,_ he kept telling himself. Soon this will all be over, and there would be two tiny humans aboard his Tardis with the group. He couldn't wait to meet Eryn and Marshall Rose. Still, he was nervous and scared for his new friend.

He, being the only adult who wasn't in the room with Ness was put on Luz duty. It wasn't a difficult job, considering he was about as childish as her. They played for a while until she got hungry. Then they went to the kitchen, where he chose to snack along with her. Her new favorite game was to find the food that most disgusted the doctor, and eat it in front of him, laughing in between bites at the face of disgusted horror he would make. Today it was a pear, which was conveniently the only fruit around. _Thanks_ he told the Tardis sarcastically. He could only feel her smug satisfaction in return. Soon after, Luz got sleepy and he made her a little sleeping place in the control room.

It wasn't long after Luz was asleep, when the Doctor decided to call an old friend. The phone only rang a few times before he picked up.

"What's up, Doc?" The voice on the other end was timelessly familiar to him, and he was glad to hear it again. The accent was distinctly American, but the accent didn't hit his ears as much as it once did; probably because he had been around Americans a lot more often recently. There was also a distinct tone of annoyance.

"A companion of mine just went into labor," he said, "how about you?"

"Woah, woah, what was that?" Jack sounded in shock. "And is your voice different?"

He rolled his eyes and sighed deeply. "Yes, Jack I've regenerated. And I said that one of my companions has just gone into labor."

"Is it yours?"

"Jack! No it they are not. She is married... I wouldn't... Of course you would ask that."

"Its a legitimate question. Did you say 'they'?"

"Yes, she is having twins. A boy and a girl"

"Wow," he sounded shocked. "How many people are even on your Tardis, anyhow?"

"There are seven, not including me."

"A full house... erm Tardis then, isn't it? How did you come across this bunch anyways?"

"Long story," He saw Pixie approaching in the corner of his eye, "I have to go for now, Jack, but maybe I'll come and visit sometime soon, okay?"

"That's unlikely, but see ya around, Doc. Take care of them, you hear me? If you don't I'll give you a slap worthy of the famous Jackie Tyler."

"I will, Jack. I will." With that, he hung up. He didn't realize how great it would be to hear the familiar voice of an old friend. The call reassured him, and made him feel more refreshed than ever.

He saw as Pixie sat down next to her sleeping child. There were gentle tears running down her face. When he had first heard he name, he had been confused about the oddity of calling someone Pixie, but as he grew to know her better, he began to understand why the name fit. She was a tiny woman, but not but any means frail. She was quiet and shy but there was a certain underlying strength that she carried herself with. There was always so much buried under her sky blue eyes. She was similar to Ness, but not in a visible way. Sure, they were both under five-five, but they both had something about them that one couldn't help but admire.

"Is everything alright, Pixie? Is Ness okay?"

"Ness is doing great. She's strong. It's just... I... its memories... that I would rather not have popping up again."

"Oh..." Over the time that they have been with him, he had learned more about Pixie's dark past. He knew what would upset her, and what topics should be avoided. Luz was a tough spot for her, and the fact that her closest friend was having a _real_ family, while she only had Luz.  
"Do you know why I named her Luz?"

"No, why?"

"She was the one good thing that came out of that time. She was _la Luz de mi camino,_ as my nanny would say. _The light to my path._ I love her, Doctor, but the reason that she is here shouldn't _be_ a reason. That isn't any way that a child should come into the world."

The strength of this girl wasn't one of pride, or reason. It wasn't because she knew she was strong. Her strength came at a price. She was strong because there wasn't any other choice.

"I tried to kill us. Myself and Luz. She wasn't even born yet, and I tried to kill her. I didn't see another option for us at the time. She would've been in my parent's care. I couldn't have that. She would've ended up like me, or worse, _him._ I am glad that Eryn and Marshall have good beginnings. They will have a good life. Ness never doubted herself or them. I only wish I could've had that for Luz."

The Doctor didn't even know how to respond. He had seen how she avoided people outside of her family, how she hadn't even spoken to him much until a few days ago, and how she always flinched away from foreign touch, raised voices and hands. He could now recognize the emotions in her eyes. Fear, sorrow, worry, regret. Her soft-spoken voice and quiet weren't just habit, but survival.

"Pixie, I-I... I'm sorry. I'm so sorry that you had to go through that."

"Its okay. I'm okay, and at least I have _mi Luz._ "

* * *

The delivery went perfectly, and on that night, the Tardis and her crew welcomed two, healthy babies into the universe. Ness was exhausted, but happy. She couldn't be more thrilled than to finally meet the two people she had been growing for the past nine months. They were quiet babies. They only cried out of necessity, and Logan and Ness were wonderful, attentive parents. The visits they took were mainly to Earth and occasionally to other planets and were always Tardis guided and safe. The Doctor could tell that the Tardis was fond of her babies. It wasn't often there was anybody born onboard and although they weren't like River had been, she did to look out for them.

It had been about a month after they were born when Ness had suggested that they get Rose. She had been adamant about going as soon as possible. And she was ready to go despite the severity of any situation. Ness was practically itching for a real adventure.

They had arranged their group according to a general vote. The Doctor, Ness and James. Logan wasn't very pleased with the plan, but he eventually grudgingly gave in. They had decided to park the Tardis on Earth in Cardiff, a place the Doctor knew to be relatively safe and well protected.

Right before they were about to leave Logan pulled the Doctor aside. "Listen, I know how important this mission is to you and I know how much it means to Ness, but don't you dare let _anything_ happen to her. Our children will not grow up motherless. At the first sign of danger, you _get the hell away._ We need her to be safe."

"I promise, Logan Rose, that no harm will come to your wife." He meant every word. Logan was right, of course.

During the past few days, he began to feel his unease grow. What if they were too late? What if Rose hated him? What if she was happy where she was? What happened to his clone? But there was excitement as well. What if everything went _right?_ He could barely hope, but he wanted it so desperately.

Ness kissed her husband and children and took James' and the Doctor's hands. He could suddenly see a similar light to the one that they had first arrived with. He took a deep breath, and stepped through.

* * *

He couldn't believe what he was seeing. The place they had stepped into was unlike any place he had ever seen. It was calm, and peaceful, and _different_ in some indescribable way. "What is this place?"

"It goes by many different names, but we call it the Bridge." Answered Ness. She wore a focused expression. "Okay, we really cannot stay for long, so I need you to think about Rose. Focus on her energy, her smile, focus on everything that makes her Rose. James and I will do what we can, but this is entirely on you.

He took what she said to hearts and did what she said. He thought of Rose. Of her tongue in teeth smile, of the way she would reach for his hand whenever possible, and how she was always determined to do the right thing. He thought of her "Jackie" moments, and all of the times he wanted to tell how much he loves her and the times they almost kissed and the few times they actually did. He thought of her courage, her bravery, her love of adventure...

Then there was a light; a small one at first, barely noticeable at first, but it grew. When it finally grew enough for one to step through, James gave him a pat on the back, and a "Good job,". They all stepped through, Ness, then James, and finally the Doctor, gathering up his courage, followed after them.

* * *

The place they landed in had a similar distinct feeling of _different._ But he recognized the place. It was forever engrained in his memories. It was a place that he never wanted to see again. "She's here. I can feel her."

"Okay Doctor, hold onto that. Follow it. Let it lead you to her." He took her advice and followed her unmistakable trace. Straight to a cemetery... _Nonononono this is wrong. Ness said she would be fine. I know she is here._ His hearts raced, his eyes stung, and he felt as if a weight had been set on his soul. _Rose_ his soul sang out.

He felt a prickle at the back of his mind. A feeling unlike the one that resembles the Rose family, but rather, it was one that was painfully similar to the kind left behind by a Gallifreyian, but it also felt distinctly of _her._

He turned to see a young woman, probably in her early twenties, walking through the front gate and holding a bouquet of flowers in one hand, and a watering can in the other. Her hair was long and blonde and the tears streaming down her face could easily be seen even from a distance. Her features were unmarred by any passing of time. She had a timeless, beautiful grace to her step. However, she was full of an unseen sorrow that seemed to weigh down her entire body.

When the Doctor saw her enter, his hearts seemed to twist and contract. It was Rose. The exact Rose he remembered, but she was distinctly different as well. The Rose he remembered was happy, unburdened, and a shining light to everyone she met. Everything that he most remembered about was almost gone.

He carefully walked up to her, almost completely forgetting about his bewildered companions. Mindful of his new appearance, he figured he should not to jump at the chance to introduce himself to her. _A different approach_ , he decided would be safest.

"What brings a woman like yourself to such a place as this?" He asked; his voice sounding much more steady than he could have hoped for it to.

"My husband." Her voice cracked. "He died thirteen years ago, today."

"Thirteen years?" In his head, he began to try and count the years. _No, that can't be right. She should be younger._ "That's a long time. May I ask how old you are?"

There was a slight quirk to her face which seemed to be a mixture of a smirk and a grimace. "That's an awfully rude question to ask a woman, but I am definitely older than you would think."

"Yeah, I get called rude a lot actually. I once had a friend who could point out my rude-ness but I haven't seen her for a really long time."

'I'm very sorry to hear that." He could feel the genuinely of her statement.

"What was his name? Your husband, I mean."

"Doctor John Noble, but everyone just called him Doctor."

He tried to keep a straight face but his act was slipping. _She stayed with him. She loves him still. Do I have a chance of helping her?_ "He sounds like a good guy. What happened to him?"

He expression crumbled and the faint light in her eyes left without a trace. "His age finally caught up with him."

"I'm sorry to hear that."

"What about you? Who are you here to visit?"

"A good friend that I never had the chance to tell her I love her."

"Who are you?"

Before he could answer, Ness walked up behind him and tapped his shoulder, he turned to see an urgent expression on her face. "Doctor, we need to leave now."

"Doctor?" Rose's face was pure shock. "You're him?"

"The very one." He turned back to face Ness. "What's wrong?" He did a sweep of the area and didn't see anything.

"We need to get back _now._ Something's happening. And I will not leave my alone when they need us." Ness had gone into what the Doctor could inly describe as 'momma bear mode', which meant she would stop at nothing to protect her family. "James, open the door. Rose, Doctor, take my hand." Without waiting for a moment's hesitation she grabbed their hands and pulled them along. Rose was too startled to react and, thankfully didn't react.

Within seconds they stepped through the light.

* * *

"WHAT THE BLODDY HELL WAS THAT?" He barely even had time to recover from the abrupt jump when he heard her screaming. For some reason his first thought was: _What is Jackie doing here?_ When he came to his senses he realized that it was in fact Rose doing all of the yelling.

They were back in the Bridge. It was still just as beautiful, but this time the sun was - _rising? That can't be right. It was just setting._ "The sun... its-"

"Rising, I know. Everything is backwards in the is why we cannot stay for long. We are living in reverse. Old scars reopen, bones rebreak. Until it is as if they never happened. The years on a face begin to fade. We become younger. My babies cannot be here yet, and Luz cannot be here for long. Everything that has ever been done to a body will eventually be undone. The Bridge is a place of undoing, where there is no progress and no beginnings. To truly use the bridge, one must understand it first. One cannot die here, but none can be born. It is a place where the end is also the beginning."

"Wow," Rose replied, "And how are you able to travel to it?"

"Anyone who has the correct field of control and who is desperate enough for escape can travel here. Ever heard of those people who disappear without a trace? I'm one of them."

"Ness," James called, "will you be able to make this trip?" Ness didn't respond, but instead she closed her eyes and focused. Within moments, the now almost familiar glow opened before them. Again, they all took hands and stepped through.


End file.
